Tokyo- Japan's centenarian club has grown to a record high of 36,276, an increase of 3,981 since last year, according to data released Friday by the Ministry of Health.

For the first time the number of the women is under 30,000 with females now comprising 86 per cent of the members in the exclusive club of those aged 100 years or older at the end of September, according to the ministry.

The annual report was released ahead of Monday's national holiday honoring the elderly.

The oldest person in Japan is a 113-year-old woman, whose name was not disclosed, from the southern island of Okinawa, which has the highest concentration of centenarians. There are 838 people 100 years or older on the island, or 61 for every 100,000 people.

The oldest man is 112-year-old Tomoji Tanabe, from the southern prefecture of Miyazaki. He turns 113 on Thursday.

When the government first began counting the centenarians in 1963 there were only 153. In just 20 years the numbers reached in thousands and exceeded 10,000 in 1998.

Japan's centenarian population is expected to reach nearly 1 million by 2050, according to UN estimates. (dpa)